I Know I Let You Down
by LetYouDown
Summary: Ten years of happiness and joy... of laughter and harmony. But things go wrong when something hits SpongeBob. And it could be a life and death situation. Join SpongeBob as he tried to overcome the biggest problem he may face in his entire life.
1. Something's Wrong

_-----Wow, my first story... I never thought I'd be doing a sad one for my first. Anyway, here's the first chapter. It's really short, I know, but I'm pretty new to the whole concept so don't judge me XDDDD. Should have the next one up by tomorrow. Later!------_

**Chapter 1: Something's Wrong**

The foghorn alarm clock was blowing loudly in his ears.

SpongeBob SquarePants arose from his bed slowly and groggily as he groaned and slammed the snooze button. He thoroughly turned his tongue back and forth behind his lips to get rid of the horrible sticky feeling welling up in his mouth.

SpongeBob had never felt this way before. Usually he had a carefree jovial attitude. That attitude slipped away during the night. He had been up all night sneezing and coughing and the faintest taste of blood was on the roof of his mouth. His head was practically splitting itself open with pain, and yet SpongeBob had the strength to ignore it. SpongeBob lazily stripped off his pajamas and put on some casual clothes and a dark blue overcoat. He rubbed the back of his head.

''Man, that was some sleep last night. I feel like someone crushed my spine with a led brick.'' he murmured.

''I'm sure it was just that rusty spring in the mattress again squeaking up a storm.'' But that reassuring thought didn't calm his nerves.

SpongeBob still felt that something was wrong with him. He trudged down the steps, hearing Gary mewing softly in the distance. As soon as he got downstairs, he saw a chubby pink starfish in his kitchen, making himself a mug of hot coffee. SpongeBob's eyebrows furrowed on his yellow forehead. ''Patrick? What're you doing here so early in the morning?'' he asked. Patrick looked up and smiled warmly at his little friend. ''Hey SpongeBob. My coffee machine was broken, so I came over to use yours. Hope you don't mind.'' SpongeBob shrugged nonchalantly. ''It's okay with me.'' SpongeBob grunted a little as he sat down. Patrick slid the Sponge a mug of hot joe and shot him a look of curiosity as SpongeBob's hand shook violently when he picked it up. ''You okay, buddy? You look a little ill.'' he said politely as he sipped his coffee.

SpongeBob sipped the mug, making small slurping noises. He looked as if the coffee was about to come back up his esophagus, but he swallowed hard. ''I'm fine, Pat. I'll just take some Tylenol and I think it'll do me fine.'' SpongeBob walked slowly over to the medicine cabinet and took a pill out of a tiny cylindrical bottle and snapped it in half, then swallowed it. He stared at his wristwatch with eyes as big as dinner plates. ''Ah! I'm gonna be late! Mr. Krabs is gonna keelhaul me if I'm late again!'' SpongeBob drank his coffee in one gulp and rushed towards the door. ''Bye Patrick!'' he said absentmindedly as he stumbled out the cold metal door.

Patrick waved his stubby pink hand and looked back down at his coffee as the door slammed shut. A worried look spread itself across his face. His eyebrows furrowed in concern. ''There's something wrong with him. I just know it. And I usually don't know anything.'' Patrick put the empty mug in the sink and headed for the door. He sighed heavily as he walked out, his mind still full of concern for his friend.


	2. The Breakdown

_-----Wow, my first story... I never thought I'd be doing a sad one for my first. Anyway, here's the first chapter. It's really short, I know, but I'm pretty new to the whole concept so don't judge me XDDDD. Should have the next one up by tomorrow. Later!------_

**Chapter 1: Something's Wrong**

The foghorn alarm clock was blowing loudly in his ears.

SpongeBob SquarePants arose from his bed slowly and groggily as he groaned and slammed the snooze button. He thoroughly turned his tongue back and forth behind his lips to get rid of the horrible sticky feeling welling up in his mouth.

SpongeBob had never felt this way before. Usually he had a carefree jovial attitude. That attitude slipped away during the night. He had been up all night sneezing and coughing and the faintest taste of blood was on the roof of his mouth. His head was practically splitting itself open with pain, and yet SpongeBob had the strength to ignore it. SpongeBob lazily stripped off his pajamas and put on some casual clothes and a dark blue overcoat. He rubbed the back of his head.

''Man, that was some sleep last night. I feel like someone crushed my spine with a led brick.'' he murmured.

''I'm sure it was just that rusty spring in the mattress again squeaking up a storm.'' But that reassuring thought didn't calm his nerves.

SpongeBob still felt that something was wrong with him. He trudged down the steps, hearing Gary mewing softly in the distance. As soon as he got downstairs, he saw a chubby pink starfish in his kitchen, making himself a mug of hot coffee. SpongeBob's eyebrows furrowed on his yellow forehead. ''Patrick? What're you doing here so early in the morning?'' he asked. Patrick looked up and smiled warmly at his little friend. ''Hey SpongeBob. My coffee machine was broken, so I came over to use yours. Hope you don't mind.'' SpongeBob shrugged nonchalantly. ''It's okay with me.'' SpongeBob grunted a little as he sat down. Patrick slid the Sponge a mug of hot joe and shot him a look of curiosity as SpongeBob's hand shook violently when he picked it up. ''You okay, buddy? You look a little ill.'' he said politely as he sipped his coffee.

SpongeBob sipped the mug, making small slurping noises. He looked as if the coffee was about to come back up his esophagus, but he swallowed hard. ''I'm fine, Pat. I'll just take some Tylenol and I think it'll do me fine.'' SpongeBob walked slowly over to the medicine cabinet and took a pill out of a tiny cylindrical bottle and snapped it in half, then swallowed it. He stared at his wristwatch with eyes as big as dinner plates. ''Ah! I'm gonna be late! Mr. Krabs is gonna keelhaul me if I'm late again!'' SpongeBob drank his coffee in one gulp and rushed towards the door. ''Bye Patrick!'' he said absentmindedly as he stumbled out the cold metal door.

Patrick waved his stubby pink hand and looked back down at his coffee as the door slammed shut. A worried look spread itself across his face. His eyebrows furrowed in concern. ''There's something wrong with him. I just know it. And I usually don't know anything.'' Patrick put the empty mug in the sink and headed for the door. He sighed heavily as he walked out, his mind still full of concern for his friend.

**Chapter 2: The Breakdown**

SpongeBob burst through the double doors, sweating and panting. Mr. Krabs stood in front of him, with an unimpressed expression and his arms crossed over his chest. ''SpongeBob, me boy! You're me best worker, and yet ye keep showin' up late! What's wrong, boy? Trouble at home, depression, laziness?'' he asked. SpongeBob looked as if he were about to cry. Mr. Krabs' expression softened when he saw how sickly the boy looked. He came over and touched SpongeBob's head with a big red claw. He pulled back in shock. ''Good grief, boy! You're burning up!'' the crab yelled. SpongeBob waved his hands nervously, as if to ward him off. ''Mr Krabs, I'm fine! R-Really! Just let me go to my quarters and I'll get to work! Please?!''

''You're sure?'' ''Yes, Mr. Krabs! I'm sure, I'm sure! Please, just let me get to work!'' SpongeBob complained. The sponge scuttled away to the kitchen door and slammed it shut. A turquoise squid at the cash register rolled his eyes. ''What's HIS problem?'' he scoffed, repositioning his ''I really wish I weren't here right now'' button. Mr. Krabs walked over and leaned on the side of the register with an exasperated expression on his red face. ''I don't know, Squidward me lad. But there's somethin' amiss here. SpongeBob ain't actin' like himself at all today.'' Squidward shrugged as if he could care less. He hid his giant nose in an issue of ''Dance Quarterly''. ''Whatever.'' he lied. On the inside, Squidward was actually worrying for the little yellow guy. Although he didn't like him all that much, Squid at least felt SOME compassion for him.

A brown, female squirrel in a purple minidress and a green cardigan stepped through the double doors; Sandy Cheeks. But why was she not in her suit and helmet, you may ask. Because, not long ago, she tapped into her science skills and developed a pill that allows land mammals to breathe underwater. She shot Squidward and Krabs a warm smile and walked over to them, tail swishing a little as she walked. ''Howdy, boys. Beautiful morning, ain't it?'' Sandy said politely, trying to lighten the mood with polite conversation. Squidward didn't look up from his magazine. He never really cared for Sandy that much anyway. Mr. Krabs waved absentmindedly to her. ''Ahoy, lass.'' he said sadly.

Sandy frowned. She put a hand on Mr. Krabs' shoulder. ''What's wrong, Mr. Krabs?'' she asked. Mr. Krabs shrugged her hand off. ''SpongeBob just ain't himself today. And it's worryin' me to bits. He won't let me tell 'im how sick he looks.'' the crab sighed. Sandy's frown increased.

''I'll go and talk to him.'' she assured them. Sandy pushed the cook's door open. _''I sure hope he's alright... it ain't like him to ignore Mr. Krabs like that.''_ Sandy thought. She had always had affection for SpongeBob, and worried for him often, what with all the trouble he gets himself into. Sandy looked around. There was no sponge in sight. ''SpongeBob?'' she called. ''You here, little guy?'' she called again. No answer. Sandy looked everywhere; the patty vault, the bathrooms, even under the grill... but no SpongeBob to be found. ''Now where haven't I checked...'' the squirrel wondered to herself.

Realization shone all over her face. ''Aha! The freezer!'' Sandy exclaimed. She pulled on the handle of the freezer door, but it didn't budge. She tried again. ''Hmph.'' she grunted in frustration. ''This calls from some Texas-style Karate choppin'! HIIIIIIYAA!!'' Sandy's hand came down on the door, and it split in half. ''Where are you, Sponge-'' Sandy screamed shrilly. There, in the middle of the floor lay SpongeBob; looking dead as a doornail.


End file.
